This holiday advert about a dad preparing to foster a child will hit you right in the feels

The holiday season is here and we all are flooded with advertisements in which brands are selling their products and services. But there is one advertisement that is not doing that. Instead, they are sharing a powerful message about an important cause for 2022. U.K. retailer John Lewis & Partners, known for their Christmas advertisements, has highlighted an important issue of children who need caregiving and foster homes.

In the ad, The Beginner, a family is seen preparing to welcome a foster child. But that's not how they start it. It begins with a man seen buckling on a helmet and trying to skateboard. A cover of Blink 182's All The Small Things by Mike Geier plays as he progresses in his skateboard practice. He falls multiple times and has skateboard-related injuries. Meanwhile, he and his wife are also seen prepping for Christmas — he is seen dragging a tree to his house and decorating it.

In the end, the doorbell rings, and they open the door to a social worker and a girl, who is holding her skateboard. She looks inside and sees a skateboard. That's when he says, "I skate a bit too," pointing at his skateboard. His wife then asks her if she would like to come inside. The ad ends with a frame sharing that there are more than 108,000 children and young people in the U.K.’s care system. According to the 2021 report by the US Department of Health and Human Services, about 391,000 children are in foster care, according to TODAY.

The advertisement received more than 2.2 million views within 24 hours of the brand posting the video on its YouTube channel. The brand captioned the video, "We used our advert this Christmas to highlight an issue close to hearts so that together, we can be a force for positive change for a generation of young people growing up in care or who have experienced being in care." "We want every young person to feel valued and seen and have the same opportunity for a happier Christmas and a happier future." Emma Wood, Advertising Lead, John Lewis, said, "It really felt like an opportunity to start talking about what we really care about."

A user commented, "As someone who’s been in the care system myself as a child, this really feels close to home. And it did make me share a tear, that's how I know it’s a John Lewis advert. And it does make you think about how powerful adverts can be, even if they are simple and basic." Another user said, "Christmas spirit is in this advert. Many don't have the luxury of having families and big parties. This is showing you someone else's Christmas; a reality you're not contending with if it didn't 'hit the spot.' It's safe to say, it connected with people if you can put yourself in somebody else's shoes - even at Christmas. This is really what it's about. Not the food or material gifts. Love."

"It is really different story than what we have done before and that was really deliberate. Families are very important to us as a brand and showcasing a different dynamic tells a different story," said Claire Pointon, Director of Customer, at John Lewis. "I think it will make you stop and think and say, 'how can I help?'"